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I decided to post this after hearing a talking head on one of the cable channels describe the terror attack of 9/11 as "the first attack on the mainland by a foreign power since the War of 1812." Having lived in New Mexico for several years - and being a stickler for historical detail - I was aware of Villa's attack on Columbus, NM. I starting digging around the web for a good account, and came across this article.

There are some interesting parallels. I believe that bin Laden - like Pancho Villa - wants to provoke a war with the United States in order to achieve a greater political goal. The difficulties that Pershing's troops experienced in the deserts and mountains of northern Mexico, and their inability to catch Poncho Villa, illustrate the daunting task facing us. And nevertheless, Pancho Villa did finally meet the grisly death he so richly deserved (although not by the hands of American forces).

Good post. This historical parallel occurred to me the other day as well, although I am nowhere near as versed in it as you. Thanks for pointing this out.

Appropriate Indeed.

A distant relative of mine, flew for Pancho Villa. A film was made, starring Robert Mitchum and Yul Brynner(sp?) regarding the incidents, wherein the role played by Mitchum, was that of the pilot.

Said pilot was one of the earliest and youngest trained by the Wright Brothers at their aviation school above Huffman Plains, outside of Dayton, OH, now the sight of Patterson Field of the Wright Patterson AFB complex.

The film was made by Sam Peckinpah(sp?), Martin Scorsese(sp?), or Peter Bogdanovich(sp?). I think. It was aways back.

Interestingly, at a U.S. Air Force Association convention (Dallas, TX or New Orleans in the very early 1960s), my folks met up with Gen. Benjamin Foulois(sp?) who was the commander (Capt.? at the time of Villa's Ride) of the aero "squadron" ordered to Columbus, NM and thereabouts, to assist the Pershing Expedition.

Sounds like a much better strategy than chasing Villa all over Mexico would have been to put soldiers in border towns and wait for him to strike again.

I decided to post this after hearing a talking head on one of the cable channels describe the terror attack of 9/11 as "the first attack on the mainland by a foreign power since the War of 1812." Having lived in New Mexico for several years - and being a stickler for historical detail - I was aware of Villa's attack on Columbus, NM. I starting digging around the web for a good account, and came across this article.

True, but you don't have to go that far back to find attacks on American Soil by foreign powers. Think of Japan and the Aleutians during big 2.

Thank you buaya. Excellent article. I have a poster from that campaign hanging in my home. My fraternal grandfather was a Sargent with the Connecticut Guard and served at the border. We heard some great stories growing up. The poster depicts the encampments ( tents neatly lined up, note: thanks god we ended that mistake), cannon pulled by mule, lots of calvary, and of course a fine felt stetson shaped hat..no friggin Chicom beret. Based on his stories, I know he would rather have continued roaming the deserts of the border areas rather than the long boat ride to France as they headed to deal with some other badguys. Marobe

Quote: Despite prior knowledge that Villa and his men were pillaging, raping, and murdering their way toward the border, the cavalry was caught completely by surprise. One reason for the cavalry’s sluggishness was because some of the troops had been drinking, but perhaps more importantly, all of the troops’ rifles were chained and locked in gun racks" Gee, is it my suspicious nature, Mr Wilson, or do you have a habit of getting us embroiled in armed conflicts where you Banker friends that got you elected Pres., just happen to make big money while Americans die ??? Then you send forces allegedly to persue and punish, yet you forbid those troops from doing anything that might anger the locals??? Interresting to ponder Mr Wilson's "complicity" with Winston Churchill and their secret agreement that allowed the Lusitania to be sunk so America would enter the war. And the bankers continue making money. Gee, de ja vue ! Don't attack and anger the Mexicans, don't cross the river and attack N-Korean targets, and lets not attack strategic targets in Hanoi or Loas ....just spend money and let American Soldiers die .... I know I've read this script before ...... Marobe

I studied under a professor of Military History at New Mexico State who was considered the foremost American expert on both Villa and Pershing's force. The stories are truly amazing.

One of the most interesting pieces is the valuable experience gained by pilots and intelligent military planners regarding the value of air power.

This excursion kept the US from being woefully unprepared for the aerial aspects of WWI.

My maternal Grandfather was a electrical lighting engineer, assisting with the installation of steam dynamo electrical generating equipment on various railroads throughout the Southwest, including the El Paso and Southwestern, which ran through Columbus. He was in the city during Villa's attack, and made his way to the town's Hoover Hotel, where a machinegun outpost had been set up to cover the intersection of the town's main thoroughfare at Broadway and Boundary streets.

I still have his diary relating the evening's events, for which he had prepared well in advance with two rifles, two handguns and a shotgun, which turned out not to be overdoing it one bit: the Army's machineguns repeatedly jammed, as the untrained gunners had improperly loaded it in the darkness. His brief diary entry includes the notation *Need to replace the double-barrel with a repeater....* He did, and I still have it, and if needed, it will do the job as well now as it did then.

He went on to serve in the US Navy during WWI, receiving the Navy Cross and a government Homestead Act land plot in Wyoming which is also still in the family. During the Second World War, the Navy thought him unfit for sea service, and he was instead directly commissioned as an officer in the Army Signal Corps and sent sent to a nice backwater assignment where his technical abilities could be put to use: the Aleutin Islands, which were subsequently attacked and invaded by the Japanese.

Following WWII, he was elected as the VFW state commander for his home state of New Jersey. But I think he really missed his days in the American West, and I'm partial to life out that way myself. But Villa's raid was one interesting welcome for a new Easterner, I'd reckon.

Interestingly, a lot of the streets in the town of Columbus are named for eastern states. I've always theorized, but couldn't verify, that they were named for those states from which State Militia and/or National Guard units had been sent to augment Pershing's Regular Army troops.

At the time of the Villa raid, the town of less than 2000 population was said to have become the largest population center in the state, if the numbers of troops were included, for which they had to be for purposes of hauling water to the area via the railroad's 8000 gallon water cars.

-archy-/- -archy-/-

Very good post. My Father-in-law was a private in Pershing Cavalry during the punitive excursion. He would tell stories of guard duty and challenging noises, that turned out to be wild burros.

Yup! Have been thinking about this for a couple of days. Wonder if our guys will go in on horses.

After a visit to the Pancho Villa Museum In Chihuahua City, Mexico, I purchased a book on the expedition to hunt down Villa. It is entitiled "The Great Pursuit : Pershing's Expedition to Destroy Pancho Villa". The bottom line is that Pershing's mission was a failure and in the eyes of the Mexican's Pancho Villa was more of a hero.

This expedition is a great illustration of the problems faced in trying to capture someone on unfamiliar foriegn soil. It will not be much different with Bin Laden. However, I am fully behind our president in any effort to do so. I just realize it will not be as easy as some people think and it will take a very long time.

As a side note, this was the first use of aircraft in a military operation for the U.S. It was not only a disastor but the accounts of this in the book are almost comical. There was one incident where a pilot had to land the plane at a remote site away from the troops because it was getting dark and he could not make it back. He hiked back to camp and got a ride back to his plane the next day. Guess what? The plane was completely stripped down of everything of any value and had to be abandoned. Some things never change!

I'm glad you posted this. It's something that I have been mulling over since everyone started proclaiming this a new kind of war. It isn't - we've done this before. The equipment has changed but the principles are the same. I would like to contrast Pershing's failure to another similar campaign in the same area some fifty years earlier. That is General George Crook's 1872 Apache campaign.

When emigrants began moving into Arizona in large numbers after the Civil War they stumbled into a 300 year old war that few knew anything about. Apaches, Navajos and Comanchees had for generations raided deep into Mexico to loot, murder and capture slaves. The Mexicans reciprocated with punative expeditions which essentially did the same thing. The Indians would hit hard, commit unspeakable barbarities, and then retreat into the mountains where the Mexicans couldn't find them. By 1872 the newly arriving Americans had joined the Mexicans as targets of these raids.

General Crook was sent to subdue the Apache. He sent word that any Apache who wished to stay friendly would gather in designated areas, any remaining out would be considered hostile. He abandoned his supply wagons and put small units on horse, foot and mule. He rode a mule. These small units combed the Bradshaws, the Mazatzals, the Sierra Anchas, the Tonto and the Bloody Basins and the Mogollon Rim. The troops would surround Apache rancherias at night and open fire at the first sign of life.

Crook was careful to treat friendlies with honesty and respect. He exploited clan differences and built an extremely effective and loyal cadre of Apache Scouts. He was dogged and relentless in persuit of the hostiles.

Slowly the hostiles were killed or forced, eventually, to the San Carlos Reservation. There were breakouts and incidents for the next 10 or 12 years but for the main part the Apaches had been broken. As a subjugated people they still speak of General Crook with the highest respect in spite of subsequent poor treatment by Whites.

There are still Apaches in the mountains who are not registered and do not come in, living the old ways, but they avoid any contact with whites and cause no trouble.

General Crook's campaign was far more successful than General Pershing's but is comparatively unknown.

But how can this be? FR's greatest expert, FRED25, just assured the board that no mexican national had ever commited a terrorist act on the USA.

Bump.